MOSCOW, September 20. /TASS/. Outgoing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg does not realize the consequences of using long-range missiles against Russia, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on the sidelines of the 4th Eurasian Women’s Forum.

The diplomat drew attention to Stoltenberg’s interview with The Times newspaper. "According to him, Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles will not lead to the alliance being drawn into a conflict with Russia. Meanwhile, Stoltenberg assumes that each NATO country will authorize the use of weapons supplied to Ukraine on its own, but not at the behest of the alliance. These decisions are apparently risky, but, as Stoltenberg said, there is no war without risk," Zakharova added.

"You know, in my opinion, such a statement can be made by a person who is absolutely not independent, who is under pressure to such an extent that he utters any nonsense. <…> Such a statement can only be made by a person who really does not realize the consequences of his steps and, accordingly, has no link to the responsible behavior of the entity he represents," the diplomat stressed.

"As he leaves NATO, he can say any nonsense, even the most terrible things, because he will no longer be responsible for his words," Zakharova said, referring to Stoltenberg's statements. "Although I don't think he was responsible before, since all the speeches, strategies, and concepts in NATO are written by the Americans," she added.

Escalation proponents are playing with fire

"We would like to once again call on the ‘hawks’ on both sides of the Atlantic - both those who are the real 'hawks' and those controlled by them. They are playing with fire and have completely lost their grasp of reality," the spokeswoman emphasized.

In this context, she recalled and quoted the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin: "This is their [Western countries’] direct involvement [in the Ukrainian conflict], and this, of course, significantly changes the very essence, the very nature of the conflict. It would mean that NATO countries, the United States, and European nations are at war with Russia. And if this is the case, then, considering the change in the very essence of the conflict, we will make appropriate decisions based on the threats we face."

"The conflict [in Ukraine], unleashed through Western efforts, risks escalating to a completely different scale, with dangerous consequences for the entire world," Zakharova said. "Both Stoltenberg and those who scripted such statements for him are certainly aware of the potential outcomes," she concluded.

TASS is the general information partner of the 4th Eurasian Women's Forum, organized by the Federation Council and the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member States.